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What are the current recommendations for softsynths to use with BIAB under 64-bit Windows? I still have an Edirol SD-90, but realize that I won't be able to use it with Windows 10. Moreover, modern processors are fast enough that there's no need for an outboard hardware synth module.

I used Bandstand once upon a time, but that has also been discontinued.

I also realize that there is much less need for a separate synth with RealTracks; nevertheless, RealTracks doesn't cover everything.

So what is the current recommendation?

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Why can't you use it with Win 10?? I'm using a MUCH OLDER SC-8850 (and a lot of other stuff with NO USB plugs at all XV-5080, Alesis QS8, QSR, Nanosynth, ...)

You MIGHT not be able to use it OVER USB (but with a little hacking you might be able to - you might want to do some "googling" on it) BUT it still works over 5-pin DIN MIDI.

That aside - if you only want a GM compliant plugin then it's fairly limited: TTS-1, Coyote Forte, the IMO the pricy ($125) Roland Sound Canvas VA, and some others that require a little effort to make "GM-like" (like IK SampleTank 2 with Omnisynth add-in, I'm probably forgetting a few but there really aren't that many that you install and use like a GM module VSTi)

If you don't mind assigning your instruments by picking the patches manually ANY VSTi softsynth: Kontakt, Rapture Pro or Dimension Pro, Sample Tank 3 (or 2) , Garritan, UVI, Xpand!2, or any SFZ, ...


Good Luck
Larry


Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
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Andrew, I had an SD-80 for years. Same MIDI engine as the SD-90, without the audio. As I recall looking at the Roland drivers site some years back, it worked on Windows 7. I also think Roland said more recently that Windows 10 wasn't supported. However - that does not mean it won't work using Windows 7 driver compatibility. This is similar to users of firewire devices: you install Windows 7, get the drivers working, save them to another storage place, then update to Windows 10.



BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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I swear by Mike Head's XG Lite Yamaha GM set for filling in the gaps between Realtracks, Realdrums and HQ sounds.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=435245&page=1

Last edited by ryclark; 11/19/17 01:34 AM.
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Hi ryclark

Thanks for you kind words above .
However you should be aware that I have a slight problem at the moment when using it for midi drums on the 4 substyle type styles, watch my thread below for updates.
As I say there, this wont effect you if you use real drums or any other synth for the drum track, and only on 4substyle styles .
Please though read / watch the thread.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=438283#Post438283

Thanks
Mike

Last edited by Mike Head; 11/19/17 03:58 AM.

BIAB2021 UltraPlus,AsusN55S1Tbssd, W10/64,Akai EIEpro
Yamaha CVP405,SquireStrat, CoolsoftVMidSynth
Novatation Impulse61 Ctr kbd, Cwalk blab Kontakt

http://mikesmusic.byethost16.com/
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I forgot about Mike Head's XG Lite Yamaha GM

It is very good and FREE so another +1 on that one


Thanks Mike

Larry


Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
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The Coyote Forte DXi is really a very good GM synth. Once I bought it for BIAB I stopped trying to find anything else. Ya, it ain't free but once paid for it will run for years for you.


BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.

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For its price, Forte really does deliver a very acceptable solution.


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
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Originally Posted By: ryclark
I swear by Mike Head's XG Lite Yamaha GM set for filling in the gaps between Realtracks, Realdrums and HQ sounds.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=435245&page=1


What he said up there. Works great with Biab, just use the 203/206 patch and you are set.

Trax

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I continue to use Bandstand without problems in Windows 10

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I really like the Cakewalk TTS-1, but the Forte is nice too.

If you'd like to compare the sounds of a few different synths, this page has some great demos:

http://www.pgmusic.com/dare-to-compare.htm

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

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I really like the WinLive Synth Driver, that you can find (for a very affordable price) form promusicsoftware.com, an Italian manufacturer of music software programs.

You can find it at:

http://www.promusicsoftware.com/detail0.php?prod=5553&cat=15001400

It's Black Friday, so it's on sale at 50% discount! Only our 14.50 it's a no brainer!

Please grab it ASAP, you won't be disappointed!

P.S. I'm in no means an affiliated to Pro Music Software :-)

All the best from Italy

Antonio


I muri sono creature... scontrose
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That thing sounds pretty good Doctor!

I've noticed over the last few years that there's a lot of good musical stuff coming out of Italy. GSI/Crumar, Ketron, the Legend organ and more.

Bob


Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Antonio,
Caution! I just bought this Winlive softsynt, you recommended. When trying to download the setup-file my virus scanner (Avast) interrupts the download and alarmed me as it shall be infected with malware!
I will write to Pro Music to find out whats about it.

EDIT: I got a fast response from Pro Music! They reported the setup as safe to Avast and now it downloads and installs without problems.

Last edited by Brille; 11/23/17 09:38 PM.

Biab/RB latest build, German Language Pak, Win 10/64 Pro, 1 TB SSD, 32 GB RAM. Notation SW Finale, StaffPad, SmartsScore – Playing Double Bass, Guitar, Piano
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Free Virtualmidisynth by Coolsoft! Absolutely amazing and freeware, you are allowed to donate though :-)
It acts as a virtual midi device (like the Microsoft Wavetable).
It uses Soundfonts, and there are some with really great quality, especially for free. You can even layer them. E.G. I really like the FluidR3 GM soundfont, but for piano I take a special free high quality Steinway soundfont which automatically replace the standard piano when loaded.

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Can someone help me with using Winlive Synth Driver with BIAB

Thanks.Glen

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Originally Posted By: jazzmammal
That thing sounds pretty good Doctor!

It certainly does!

I'm getting it. It's a lot better than Coyote!


Pepe aka Lt. Kojak
Milano, Italy
https://soundcloud.com/theodore-kojak/tracks
Hy-Bro Test Sound Files
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Hi...Just started playing around with Band In A Box. Can anyone recommend a good software synth? Mostly rock style music. Looking for realism (of course). The freebee that comes with BIAB (Roland VSC DXi) sounds "ok" but some things, like guitar, sound like the old midi music.

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Welcome to the forum and BIAB, OrrenHsieh. Yours is a difficult question with many possible answers depending on your budget. Give us an idea about that.

I use a hardware MIDI synth, so I'll leave the recommendations to others who use software synths. You might also look on this forum for similar threads. There is a recent thread here about Halion Sonic 3, for example.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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see Peter Gannon's 'sticky' post at the top about a 'no brainer@..Cakewalk is free and comes with a great softsynth. it's actually the edirol hypercanvas under another name and its by Roland. much of BIAB's midi is optimised for Roland

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We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

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